Latch



C. F. WEIL.

LATCH.

APPLICATION man AuG.2,19|9.

UNITED ,SITES AArtnr OFFICE.

LATCH.

To all whom t may concern Be 1t known that I, CHRISTIAN F. 7WEIL,

citizen of the United States oi America, and

resident of Jefferson township, Warren county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Latch, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for latches specially adapted for use on screen doors, vgates and the like.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by-the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an exterior elevation of a screen door to which my improvement is applied. Fig. 2 is a plan of the latch detached from the door, the dotted lines indicating a' different location torfone of the elements.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device mounted on the stile of a screen door, the screen being shown in section, a portion of a door jamb being shown carrying a strike in association with the door and latch. Fig. 4 is an interior elevation showing the latch mounted on a portion of the stile of a screen door and a portion of a door jamb carryinga strike in association therewith, the screen being omitted. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the indicated line 5 5 of Fig. 4, the door stile and jamb being omitted.

In the construction of the device and its mounting as shown, the numeral 10 designates a base member, preferably made of sheet metal by stamping, pressing or drawing. The flat central or body portion of the member 10 is formed with spaced ears 11 bent around and pivoting on a hinge pin 12 and forming half of a hinge connection to another element, and also is formed with wings 13, 14 standing at right angles tothe body and tapering in width towardA the lower ends thereof, which wings are formed with upper end portions 15, 15, forming right angles with the line of jointure between the wings and body and adapted to serve as stopsat times. Flanges 16, 17 are formed on and extend outwardly from the plane of the wings 13, 14 at oblique angles to the upper ends of said wings and are adapted to serve as stops at times as hereinafter described. The flat body ofthe member 10 also is formed with a plurality of holes adapted to receive fastening means,

vSpecicaton of Letters Patent.

such as screws 18, whereby the entire device may be mounted on a support such as the stile 19 of a door or gate 2O. A latching member 21 preferably is made of sheet metal by stamping, pressing or drawing, and the Patented Nev. 23,1920. Application filed August 2, 1919. Serial No. 314,896. y

flat body portion thereof is formed at one end with ears 22, alternating with the ears 11 and adaptedto be bent around and pivot on'the hinge pin 12, thus hinging the latching element to the base element. Hooks 23 and 24v are struck out ofthe :dat body portions of the'base member 10 and the latching member 21 respectively and said hooks are connected by a retractile coil spring 25, which spring exerts its force to hold the said members in right-angled relations, the

upper ends of the wings 13,14 contacting with the lower face of the member 21 and resisting the pull of the spring. Wings 26, 27 are formed on andstand at right 'angles to the side margins of the member 21 and flanges 28, 29 are formed on and extend inwardly from the inner end portions of -said wings at oblique-angles to the body 21y and opposed to and normally spaced from the flanges 16, 17. It is the function of the flanges 16, 17 on the one hand and the tlanges 28, 29 on the other hand to interengage and limit and determine movement of the member 21 on the hinge pin 12 against the pull of the spring 25. Hooks 30, 31 are formed on outer end portions of the wings 26, 27 and said hooks are formed with inclined striking margins 32. Said hooks 30, 31 are shaped and arranged for selective engagement with a strike 33 adapted to be secured to a door.k jamb 34 and project across the path of travel of one or another of the hooks. A hooked flange 35 is formed on and extends upwardly from the outer end portion of the body 21 and is arranged at right angles to said body, and ears or lugs 36 are struck up from the body into planes parallel with and are 4spaced from the inner surface of said flange, thus forming a slide seat. A handle 37, preferably formed of bar metal by bending, is provided with a right-angled arm 38 at one end adapted to be mounted or demounted slidingly in the rseat provided by the hooked flange 35. and

40 will oscillate the handle and raise the latching member 21 against the pull of the spring 25, thus moving the hook, immediately employed, away from the strike 33 and permitting the gate or door to be opened. Such gates or doors usually are equipped or gravity or spring closing, and in such event will close automatically and causeV the hook to engage, by its striking margin 32, with and'ride overthe strike 33 into such position that the hook Will engage the strike and retain closed position. The device is reversible or interchangeably usable on different stiles of the gate or door by changing the handle from one side to the other of they latching member 2l, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

rlhe strike 33 herein shown and described lis covered in my companion application,

Serial Number 314,897 pending concurrently herewith.

I do not desire to be understood as limited to the exact construction shown and described, as the same may be modilied in Within the scope of the Without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. A latch comprising a base member and a latching member hinged together and arranged at angles to eac-h other, a spring connecting said'members andfresisting relathe gate or door in tive movement thereof in one direction, Wings on the base member normally engaging the latching member'and resisting the pull of the spring thereon, spaced flanges on the Wings, other spaced flanges on the latch` ing member,

said flanges coacting to limit relative movement of the members against the pull of the spring, means on the latching member for engaging a strike, and means carried by the latching member for releasing the same from the strike.

2. In a latclna base member and a latching member hinged together, a yielding pressure device acting on said members in one direction, Ysaid latching member being formed with a slide seat, and a handle reversibly mounted in the. slide seat of said latching member and adapted `ter manual actuation to move said latching member in opposition to the yielding pressure device.

3. In a latch, a latching member adapted to be hinged to a support, Wings formed on said member, said Wings being shaped with hooks adapted to engage a strike, and means for oscillating said member;

et. ln a latch, a latching member adapted to be hinged to a support, latching means on said member adapted to engage a strike,

a slide seat on said member anda handle reversibly mounted in said seat.

Signed at Prole, in the county of l/Varren and State of Iowa, this 5 day of July, 1919.

yGIrlEtISIIAN F. EIL., 

